I got a basic introduction to how Twine worked in ENGL756 Digital Literacy for the English Professional earlier this summer, and the readings for this course provided a keyhole view of the many ways in which Twine enthusiasts have employed the tool for storytelling.
I was most intrigued by the meta-pieces that wrestled with tensions within the technology/author/player triad, and initially I read several articles about topics related to recent academic conversations regarding AI, hoping I could find a small sliver of an idea to explore in a Twine piece. At the same time, I also wanted to engage with the variable options highlighted during our preview of Twine's potential as part of this course. The ability to have individual modules change their content and reader impact based on earlier decisions seemed like a critical potential that Twine provided in comparison to traditional storytelling formats. Thinking from a pedagogical view, I thought this was a crucial aspect to experiment with to help me determine the place Twine writing might have in my Creative Writing course.
After some reading and stumbling composition, I decided I needed to focus on one of these, and frankly my reading regarding AI, while multiplying my curiosity about the topic, was simultaneously making we aware of the chasm-size gaps in my background knowledge. So instead I chose to focus on a very traditional adventure-themed story, attempting to activate and manipulate variables during three simple challenges. The long-term results were that I was able to focus on the mechanical aspects of the story functions that were completely unfamiliar to me, however this also led to a story with zero literary merit. I don't think this is an unavoidable accompaniment to Twine composing, but I think it might be an unavoidable accompaniment to Twine composing for the first time at my personal ability level.
Manipulating the variables successfully took a great deal of time to carry out and "proofread." Because I chose to augment very limited text with (hopefully) engaging visual backgrounds, there was also significant time devoted to selecting images and previewing the way text and images cooperated on each screen, checking for readability, proper sizing, etc. This implementation of visuals siphoned time and energy that likely would've been better dedicated to improved storytelling - at a very minimum, sustaining a consistent tone. The piece begins with some effort toward wit, but as time ran short and loose ends needed to be efficiently tied, that largely vanishes into a flatter, less engaging tone.
Reflecting on the experience, it's impossible to deny how dramatically differently this "adventure" story turned out than I had I been tasked with developing a story in that genre using more traditional tools. I think that reflects both success and failure. I'm happy with the way that I engaged with the opportunities that make this medium unique, and yet I can't deny that the final result feels exceedingly trivial in terms of content, and even treated as a game rather than a literary piece is underwhelming. That being said, I also recognize that this is my first attempt at such a structure. I would like to think that as the process became more instinctive, creativity could begin to balance mechanics for a more harmonious composition experience.
I am looking forward to seeing how my colleagues wrestled with the time and technology challenges. Aside from other benefits, this experience provided an important reminder of the pressures and anxiety that can accompany composition. Since as instructors we write in various modes so frequently, the distance from student frustrations with writing grow each year. Trying to generate creative ideas within and appropriate to an entirely new structure built my empathy for students, who might easily find my poetry or short story assignments as unfamiliar and confining as I could, at times, feel with Twine.
I was most intrigued by the meta-pieces that wrestled with tensions within the technology/author/player triad, and initially I read several articles about topics related to recent academic conversations regarding AI, hoping I could find a small sliver of an idea to explore in a Twine piece. At the same time, I also wanted to engage with the variable options highlighted during our preview of Twine's potential as part of this course. The ability to have individual modules change their content and reader impact based on earlier decisions seemed like a critical potential that Twine provided in comparison to traditional storytelling formats. Thinking from a pedagogical view, I thought this was a crucial aspect to experiment with to help me determine the place Twine writing might have in my Creative Writing course.
After some reading and stumbling composition, I decided I needed to focus on one of these, and frankly my reading regarding AI, while multiplying my curiosity about the topic, was simultaneously making we aware of the chasm-size gaps in my background knowledge. So instead I chose to focus on a very traditional adventure-themed story, attempting to activate and manipulate variables during three simple challenges. The long-term results were that I was able to focus on the mechanical aspects of the story functions that were completely unfamiliar to me, however this also led to a story with zero literary merit. I don't think this is an unavoidable accompaniment to Twine composing, but I think it might be an unavoidable accompaniment to Twine composing for the first time at my personal ability level.
Manipulating the variables successfully took a great deal of time to carry out and "proofread." Because I chose to augment very limited text with (hopefully) engaging visual backgrounds, there was also significant time devoted to selecting images and previewing the way text and images cooperated on each screen, checking for readability, proper sizing, etc. This implementation of visuals siphoned time and energy that likely would've been better dedicated to improved storytelling - at a very minimum, sustaining a consistent tone. The piece begins with some effort toward wit, but as time ran short and loose ends needed to be efficiently tied, that largely vanishes into a flatter, less engaging tone.
Reflecting on the experience, it's impossible to deny how dramatically differently this "adventure" story turned out than I had I been tasked with developing a story in that genre using more traditional tools. I think that reflects both success and failure. I'm happy with the way that I engaged with the opportunities that make this medium unique, and yet I can't deny that the final result feels exceedingly trivial in terms of content, and even treated as a game rather than a literary piece is underwhelming. That being said, I also recognize that this is my first attempt at such a structure. I would like to think that as the process became more instinctive, creativity could begin to balance mechanics for a more harmonious composition experience.
I am looking forward to seeing how my colleagues wrestled with the time and technology challenges. Aside from other benefits, this experience provided an important reminder of the pressures and anxiety that can accompany composition. Since as instructors we write in various modes so frequently, the distance from student frustrations with writing grow each year. Trying to generate creative ideas within and appropriate to an entirely new structure built my empathy for students, who might easily find my poetry or short story assignments as unfamiliar and confining as I could, at times, feel with Twine.